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PUBLICATIONS 



OF THE 



SCOTTSVILLB LITERARY SOCIETY. 
No. 3. 

THE FIRST HOUSES IN SCOTTSVILLE. 

BY 

aSORaS E. SLOCUM. 

SCOTTBVILLE, N. Y. 

Isaac Van Hoosbr. Priktbr. 

1904. 



PUBLICATIONS 



SCOTTSVILLE LITERAEY SOCIETY. 



No. 3. 



THE FIRST HOUSES IN SCOTTSVILLE. 



BY 



GEOEGE E. SLOCUM. 



SCOTTSVILLE, N. Y. 



Isaac Van Hooser. Pr:nter. 



1904. 






Edition Limited to 100 Copies. 
This copy is Ao. .^^<..•• 



ERRATA. 

Page 5. Filth line from battom, 1867 should 
be 1851. ' ';/! 

Page 7. Second line from 'toji. Jack should 
be Jacob. 

Page 11. I-'ifth line from toj), avacations .should 
be avocations. 



Gift 
Publislier 



THE FIRST HOUSES IN SCOTTSVILLE 

THE BUILDERS AND THEIR FAMILIES. 

BY 

George E. Slocum. 

Read before the Scottsville Literary Society, Dec. 1, 1902. 



The first human habitation erected by a white man, in 
this vicinity, was the cabin of Ebenezer Allan; or as he was 
better known by his sobricjuet " Indian Allan." It was 
located on the flats, between the village and the river, up- 
on a slight rise of ground some twenty rods north of the 
Oatka, and about one hundred west of the Genesee. It 
was built in 1786; and with the exception of a log fort 
erected by the French at the mouth of the Niagara, and a 
rude strtictvire at the same place to shelter the Jesuit Mis- 
sionaries of France, it was the tirst dwelling between the 
Genesee and Niagara rivers. 

Upon the arrival of the Sheffer family in the fall of 1789, 
they found this cabin occupied by Allan, his Indian wife 
Sally, two half breed daughters, Mary and Chloe, and a 
white woman known as Lucy Chapman, whom Allan had 



induced to take a half interest in his marital affairs. His 
sister, the wife of Christopher Dugan, a lady ofculture and 
refinement, having availed herself of the educational ad- 
vantages of her New jersey liome, was also, temporarily, 
a member of his household. 

.\llan was a tory refugee of the American revolution, a 
man of fort3' five or more years of age; tall and erect; alert, 
and energetic in action. He was at times locpiacious, at 
others, morose and uncomnuinicative; a man of strong 
passions, and when angry was vindictive and cruel. He 
seemed possessed of an insane ])assion for matrimony, and 
instead of adopting the more discreet policy of (lisi)()sing 
of number one Ijcfore installing number two, he had the 
temerity of domiciling beneath his roof, three wives of as 
many dift'erent races, at the same ])eriod of time. If the 
object of marriage be a life of |)cace, then his ex])erinKin 
nnisl be recorded a faihu'e. 

Allan was engaged in agriculture, in stock raising, and 
as an Indian trader. The Sheffers were seeking a location 
for a home; were ])leased with the exhibition of the jirod- 
ucts of .Mian's farm, and with the tine a])pcarance of his 
herd of cattle. .Mian was willing to sell. .\ bargain was 
ipiickly consumated, and the property ot .\llan, real and 
person.al, was transferred to Shefl'er. The two families 
jointly, occnjjied the cabin during tlu- winter of 1 7Si); and 
in the spring of 1790, .Mian removed to the falls of Gene- 
see, where he erected a rude saw. and grist mill, that have 



since become famous in the annals of Rochester. Remain- 
ing at the Falls two or three years he returned to Mount 
Alorris; duringthe closing years of the eighteenth centur\', 
he removed to Canada West, and died there in 1814. 

The Sheffer family were from eastern Pennsylvania, and 
consisted of but three members; an aged father, long pass- 
ed the period alloted as the life of man; and two sons, 
Peter Jr., aged twenty eight years, and his brother Jacob, 
four 3^ears \'Ottnger. In the spring of 1 790 the younger 
Peter Sheffer made the acquaintance of Miss Elizabeth 
Schoonover, whose father had just settled at Dugan's 
Creek, and before the summer passed he had induced Miss 
Schoonover to become Mrs. Peter Sheffer, Jr., and she was 
duly installed as mistress of the Allan cabin. 

Peter Sheffer, Jr., occupied this dwelling for nearly ten 
years; during which time his father and his brother Jacob 
died; and during this time four of his family of eleven chil- 
dren were born. In the spring of 1799 Sheffer had the tim- 
ber prepared, and the frame raised that form a portion of 
the residence now occvipied by Mrs. Thomas Brown. This 
was the tirst frame dwelling west of the Genesee. Sheffer 
resided in this house inore than half a centurv, passing 
away in ISSff aged eighty nine3^ears. He has left numerous 
decendents of the third and fourth generation in Wheat- 
land and Chili. He was a man of integrity, and was 
kind hearted. Possessing more than an ordinary share 
of this worlds goods, he was enabled to assist those less 



favored, in getting a start in tlieir new homes. Sheft'er 
was of German descent, inheriting the })eenliarities charac- 
teristic of that race. He was no Genins, the blood coursed 
sluggishly through his veins. Patient, jxTsistent, plod- 
ding, he accomplished as much; and was better fitted for 
the sphere in life he was called to till, than would have 
been a man of more brilliant parts, or of a liiglur nervous 
temperament. 

It has ])een said thai the .\nieriean jjcople are a migra- 
tory race, without an abiding home, ever on the move, 
but in the Shcffer house we have a dwelling the age of 
which dates back more than a century that has never shel- 
tered but two families. This long continued occu])ancy of 
a home, uncommon as it is, yet is exceeded in the case ol 
the Edson homestead; and in that of our townsman Dan- 
iel E. Rogers, who at the age of ninety two years, is still 
living U])on the farm on which he was born, and u])on 
which he has ever resided. 

The fu'st dwelling erected in the village pro])er was 
l)uilt in 1791 by Isaac Scott from whom the villagederives 
its name. It was situated on the south sideof Main street 
upon the site now occupied by the SalVerds l)loek. .\t 
first this house was not of the dimensions it afterward at- 
tained, but was added to as occasion called for moreroom. 
.\t one time Cyrus Douglass lived in a ])art of the liou.se, 
and had charge of his father-in-laws" estate, .\bout the 
the year ISOl , this dwelling was ()])ened as a house of 



]jublic' entertainment; kept at lirsL liv Seott, and afterward 
b^^ his son JaelSU>. 

The following discription has hecii L;iven of the " Scott 
Hotel:" viewed from the north, it a])peared as a dou])le, 
one and a half story log house; on the first floor were two 
large square rooms, with sleeping lofts above; the base- 
ment, which was lighted from the east and south sides 
contained the kitchen and dining room. 

Scott, at the time of his settlement liere was past middle 
age, with a family of grown children; two of his daughters 
married brothers b\^ the name of Douglass, one married 
Jesse Beach, a prominent resident of the village; another 
married Mr. Davis a hotel-keej^er on the State road, one 
mile east of Leroy. Davis was murdered in his own house 
1)3' James Gray, who was intoxicated. Gray was convicted 
and executed at Batavia in 1S27. 

Scott died in the village in l.SlS. his wife survived him 
fourteen years. Hinds Chamberlain, a brother of Mrs. 
Scott, and the Beaches i^emoved to Leroy, Genesee County; 
and the Douglasses to the new state of Indiana. 

The first frame house erected in the village is still in ex- 
istence, and still used as a dwelling. It originally stood 
upon the brow.of the hill, in the rear of the lot now owned 
and occupied by Mrs. Martha Woodgate. It was a one 
and a half story frame, built by Dr. .\ugustus Bristol in 
1812, over ninety \'ears ago. Tliis house was occui)ied by 



the doctor for many years, and afterward l)y various fam- 
ilies, down to ISGO, when llie ])roi)erty eanie into the pos- 
session of Alexander Paul who bnilt the block now on the 
front of the lot, and removed the Bristol house to the rear 
of the new, and it now forms the kitchen part of Mrs. 
Woodgate's residence. 

Dr. Bristol and his wife were from Connecticut, coming 
here in the prime of life, in l.sll. They had but two chil- 
dren, a son, Ives; and a daughter Paulina, who became 
the wife Henry Vosburg. 

The doctor dietl in l.StJL'. His wife, a most iimiable wo- 
man, retained her cheerful disposition, her kindness of heart, 
her interest in young ])eople; and her industrious habits to 
the very latest; ])assing away in IST'J. in ihc ninety fourth 
year of her age. 

The oldest frame house in the village, thjit has not l)een 

changed past all recognition, is the small house next west 

of the Cargill Hotel. This has been remodeled internally; 

but its outward a])])earanee remains ]3ractically unchaug- 

ed. It was built bv Abram Ilantord in 1S14, and occui)ied 

- A ' 

l)\- him as a family residence for some years. In the early 

twenties he built the two story frame house on the south 

side of Main Street, now used by L. M. Slocum as a \vare- 

house. 

Mr. llanlord occupied his new dwelling lur nearly a 
score of years, after which it was used ;is the i)arsonage of 



the Presbyterian Church, and as such was occupied by 
Rev. L. W. Billington, and Rev. Milton Butolph; since then 
the use to which this building has been converted, are 
many and various. 

Mr. Hanford had a family of six children, one son and 
five daughters. In 1820 his boy, a little fellow of four 
\'ears, fell from the bridge then in process of erection over 
Oatka creek and was drowned; one daughter died in child- 
hood, the others became the wives of William Wisner; 
Freeman Edson; Osb^rn Filer; and Ira Carpenter. Mr. 
Hanford was the first person engaged in selling goods in 
the village; opening a store for that purpose in 1813 upon 
the site now occupied by the Keys Brothers, he was after- 
ward engaged in millmg; and in several other branches of 
trade. He died while upon a business trip to Michigan in 
1845. 

Dr. Freeman Edson came to the village a single man. 
After he had decided to make this his future home, he made 
preparations for the construction of a dwelling house, and 
in 1816 he erected the present frame, with its present di- 
mensions, upon the lot, so long and so familiarly known. 
Upon its completion, he journeyed to his native state, 
and upon his return brought Miss Judith Mason, as a 
bride, to share with him his new house and home. 

As first constructed the outward dress of this hou.se, 
was a plainer garb than the one that now adorns it. In 
the early forties the cornice, the casings, the corner boards 



10 



and the front entrance were made to conform to the style 
of building then in vogue; since which time, a period of 
sixty years, its outward appearance has remained iinchang- 
ed. The doctor was thrice married; his second wife was a 
daughter of Abram Hanford, and his last was Mrs. Lewis 
Goodrich. Of his four children, Mrs. Finnej^ of Kansas, 
and Dr. Hanford A. Edson of our village, are the only 
survivors. 

The doctor after an vininterrupted practice of his profes- 
sion for more than three score 3'-ears, passed to his final 
rest in June, 1883, in the ninety second year of his age. 

In the presence of those who knew him as well as did all 
the older members of this Society, it seems unnecessary to 
speak of his character or career. Of him suffice it to say, 
that the cavise of religion, of education, of emancipation, 
of temperance, and ever^^ effort, the tendency of which 
was to elevate and improve the condition of man, found in 
the Doctor an earnest and zealous advocate. 

Wm. Havnes Hanford like his brother Abram, was an 

A 

energetic builder, not only of dwellings, but of business 
blocks. Of the latter, was the front half of the Williams 
and Dunn's store; and the south east part of the Garbutt 
block, now occupied by Joseph Brown. 

In 1817 he erected, and for six or more years occuj^ed 
the frame house that was demolished ten years ago to 
make room for Windoni Hall. In the twenties, he liuilt 



11 



the brick house west of the Catholic Church, later known 
as the Starke_v House. This was his family residence for 
some 3^ears. Mr. Hanford was himself a carpenter and 
worked at house building. He was also a merchant, and 
among his other avfications was that of farming. He 
withdrew from active pursuits a few years before his 
death, which occurred in 1875, in the eighty second year 
of his age. 

Mr. Hanford had a family of three children, Wm. H. Jr., 
of Olean, Joseph who died many years ago, and a daughter, 
who became the wife of Judge David K. Cartter of Wash- 
ington, D. C. 

Judge Powel Carpenter come from Westchester Co. in 
in 1804, and located upon the farm now occupied liy Elon 
L. Galusha. He at first built a log house, and after a few 
years a larger frame one, a portion of that now on the 
place. In 1820 he built the south east corner of what is 
now the Cargill House. This was a two story structure 
20 X 40 feet, occupying about one fourth of the space now 
covered by the hotel. Carpenter kept this house a few 
years, and was succeeded by his son Ezra. Before Carpen- 
ter left the hotel an addition of the same dimensions was 
added on the north, thus making a building fort}^ feet 
square. 

The large addition upon the west was built by E. T. 
Miller in 1851. When the premises came into the posses- 
sion of the present proprietor a story was added to the 



12 



corner lilock, inakin.!^ it n three story structure. In 1.S30 
Mr. Carjx-nter ])uill llie hriek mill, tliat was destroyed by 
Hre in 1S7S. 

When CarjK'iiter removed from the hotel he took i)os- 
session of the Hanford house where Windom Hall now 
stands, and this was his family residence until his death 
in 1853. His wife survived him five years. They had a 
family often children, all sons; two of whom died in child- 
hood, the others reached maturity; some of them to old 
age. Judge Carjjcntcr was a generous, jniblic s])irited 
man. He enjoyed and deservedly so, the confidence and 
res])eet of his fcllowinen. 

The cobble stone dwelling recently remodeled by Mr. 
Horton, and the cobble stone store now occuiiied l)y Keys 
Brothers were built by Osburn Filer, who succeeded his 
father-in-law, Abram Hanford, in the sale of merchan- 
dise. 

The early brick dwellings in the village; as well as many 
of the brick farm houses in the eastern i)art ot" the town, 
were built in the decade from 1S22 to 1832, with bricks 
that were manufactured in the village. These houses were 
of similar design, all built with I)attlements at the end. 
These, in ihc process of time, have been removed and 
cornices put in their ])lacc, thus modernizing their ai)pcar- 
anee to some e.\tent. The m;inncr in which the walls 
of these houses have resisted the ravages of time, show 



13 



that the material and workmanship alike were good. 

The cement that joined the brick has become almost as 
hard and impenetrable as the brick itself. The mason who 
laid the walls of most of the early brick hovises was Ed- 
ward Collins. Daniel P. Hammond was master mechanic 
in the same line, at a later period. The last specimen of 
Hammond's handicraft in the village being the Parsonage 
of the Presbyterian church, erected in 1854. 



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